2024 was a busy year — between it being an election year, the city tackling big issues facing the community’s present and future, and multiple anniversaries being celebrated, what didn’t Homer have going on?
This year marked perhaps one of the most exciting and exhausting electoral years, with residents of Homer and the lower Kenai Peninsula turning out for the City of Homer regular election, Kenai Peninsula Borough election, Alaska State Legislature election and the national election. Homer got a new mayor, the southern Kenai Peninsula got a new representative on the borough assembly, and while District 6 remains represented by Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, Alaska got a new representative in the U.S. House, and former President Donald Trump won the presidency.
A measure to fund improvements to the South Peninsula Hospital campus failed when brought to voters. However, voters across the state approved a minimum wage increase and mandated sick leave pay. Ranked choice voting, which came under fire by groups seeking a return to the traditional voting system, was sustained after a ballot measure to repeal ranked choice voting failed to pass.
On a more local level, the City of Homer facilitated discussions on several large issues throughout the year, including regulation of short-term rentals, implementation of a city business license program, the comprehensive plan rewrite and Title 21 Zoning and Planning Code update, and what to do about cruise ships. Short-term rental regulation and city business licenses are currently defeated, but the conversation on a cruise ship policy is still happening. The comp plan rewrite is wrapping up, with the draft plan to soon be presented to the community for feedback, and the Title 21 rewrite is set to start this month.
Also on the city side of things, after nearly a year of consideration, public hearings, revisions and reviews, Doyon, Limited’s application for a conditional use permit for their proposed Lighthouse Village development was finally approved by the Homer Planning Commission. Doyon now gets to fulfill their promise that they are committed to operating in Homer.
Education funding was a major issue this year on both the municipal and state levels. The City of Homer and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly expressed support of increased and stable education funding, and students across the state participated in a walkout event to advocate for the same. A comprehensive bipartisan bill to increase and stabilize funding was vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy — a veto that was sustained after efforts to override failed by one vote in the state Legislature. In light of this veto, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education prepared a budget with deep cuts, which were ultimately reversed when Dunleavy authorized a one-time increase to the base student allocation.
Homer community celebrated multiple anniversaries this year, including some for local businesses and organizations. Most prominently was Homer’s 40th anniversary of their sister-city relationship with Teshio, Japan. It was celebrated through the year with help from Homer’s Alaska Japanese Club through displays of art and gifts exchanged over the years, taiko drum-making workshops and performances by an Anchorage-based taiko drumming group, and more.
Homer also celebrated as former resident Kristin Faulkner won two gold medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was also commended by former Homer Mayor Ken Castner.
Homer News also experienced some major changes this year. Black Press Media, owner of Homer News’ Washington-based parent company, Sound Publishing, was bought out by Carpenter Media Group, which is based in the southeast U.S. The paper also moved out of their longtime home on Landings Street following the building’s sale and into a new office located at 345 Sterling Highway.
2024 has finally drawn to a close. Homer News, along with the community it serves, looks forward to what 2025 may bring.
January
South Peninsula Hospital became the first hospital, out of 25 in the state, to earn a five-star rating based on Medicare patient surveys. SPH chief nursing officer Rachael Kincaid attributed the hospital’s five-star ranking to not only the great work of staff, but also to the patients receiving care.
Homer’s Planning Commission continued public hearings, carried over from their Dec. 6, 2023, meeting, on Doyon, Limited’s original conditional use permit application for the proposed Lighthouse Village development. On Jan. 3, the commission recommended approval of Doyon’s request to rezone one of their lots from rural residential to General Commercial 1, but did not recommend approval for the corporation’s request to vacate a right of way at B Street. The commission later denied Doyon’s original CUP application following an executive session on Jan. 31, on the grounds that the proposed development’s footprint was too large and did not align with Homer City Code.
Black Press Media, which owns Sound Publishing, Homer News’ parent company, announced on Jan. 15 that they sought a sale to new ownership by Carpenter Media Group as part of a corporate restructuring transaction.
Benedict Joseph Traugott was the first baby of 2024, born to parents Elizabeth and Nathan Traugott on Jan. 2.
The Homer Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion on short-term rentals, ahead of the Homer City Council’s consideration of an ordinance that would amend city code Title 5 to add Chapter 5.48 Short Term Rentals in an effort to ensure short-term rentals operate in a lawful way, pay applicable fees or taxes, and do not negatively impact the quality of life for their neighbors. The panel included City of Homer Community Development Director Julie Engebretsen, Homer Bed and Breakfast Association President Marcia Kuszmaul and Story Real Estate owner and broker Chris Story.
Homer Council on the Arts announced their 2024 Community Arts Award winners. Abigail Kokai was Artist of the Year; Homer Art & Frame won Art Advocate; Peter Norton won the Mary Epperson Lifetime Achievement Award; and Kim Fine won the Jill Berryman Arts Education Award. Homer Brewing Company was given the Kathy & Mike Pate Business Award; Maggie Mae Gaylord won the Diane Borgman Youth Artist of the Year Award; and Bob Neubauer won the Mary Langham Volunteer of the Year Award.
February
Homer News reported on Feb. 8 that a study released by the Alaska Environmental Research and Policy Center found that 100% of the locations tested among Southcentral Alaska bodies of water, including waterways on the Kenai Peninsula, were found to have microplastics present.
The annual Homer Winter Carnival Parade returned, celebrating its 70th year with the theme, “What’s Old Is New.”
The newly formed Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee held its first meeting on Feb. 5 to discuss their scope of work in relation to the ongoing Homer Comprehensive Plan rewrite. Representatives from Agnew::Beck Consulting, the Anchorage firm contracted by the city to update Homer’s comp plan and Title 21 Zoning and Planning Code were also in attendance.
Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, running for reelection to the Alaska State House District 6, held a town hall wherein she shared updates on her legislative priorities and community members were invited to ask questions and present their own concerns. Much of the discussion during the town hall focused on education and the state’s ongoing struggles with sustainable funding.
The Homer City Council unanimously voted down an ordinance regulating short-term rentals at their meeting on Feb. 26, following general disapproval from the public or opinions that the ordinance was not ready to be voted on at that time and should be postponed.
The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council conducted outreach to local schools ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill to Homer schools, including lectures and demonstrations to area students.
The Anchor Point Post Office celebrated its 75th anniversary with a historical display and community activities.
March
Anchor Point’s Snow Rondi winter festival returned with a plethora of community events and activities, including the newly revived Cabin Fever Variety Show, the annual parade and more.
Doyon affirmed their commitment to remaining and building in Homer during a Homer Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at Kachemak Bay Campus on March 6. Doyon operations manager Zach Dunlap gave a presentation on the company and their goals for the Lighthouse Village development, which was followed by a Q&A session between Dunlap, Doyon Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Duke, and attending members of the business community.
The 10th annual Kachemak Science Conference, hosted by the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, was held at Kachemak Bay Campus March 17-20 and centered on cultivating knowledge for healthy ecosystems and communities.
Alaska lawmakers fell one vote short of the required 40 votes to override Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of the bipartisan comprehensive education bill that would have increased the base student allocation. Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, were among the 39 who voted in favor of the veto override. Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, voted to sustain the veto.
Chris Keithley was awarded the 2024 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament championship on March 23. His winning salmon for the 30th annual tournament weighed in at 25.96 pounds.
Comprehensive plan rewrite project leaders held an open house on March 28, which was attended by more than 70 community members who shared their insights and hopes for Homer’s future and engaged in one-on-one conversations with representatives from the City of Homer and Agnew::Beck.
April
The Homer City Council introduced a resolution at their April 8 meeting, requesting that the Economic Development Advisory Commission investigate the merits of establishing a city business license program.
The Homer All Ages and Abilities Pedestrian Pathway was awarded funding through and included as part of the 2024-2027 Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Statewide Transportation Improvements Program. The HAPP will entail the construction of a sidewalk network along multiple Homer roads, with crosswalk improvements, to enhance pedestrian safety.
Homer High School students joined students across the state in an organized walkout to demand better education funding.
Homer hosted the Alyeska Pipeline Ship Escort Response Vessel System training April 17-20 with contract vessel operators and crew. SERVS was created in 1989 after the Exxon-Valdez oil spill to assist in the prevention of oil spills and provide oil spill response and preparedness capabilities.
Kachemak-Selo School elementary teacher Alana Greear joined Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, and Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce President Dawson Slaughter in the race for the Alaska State House District 6 seat. Then-Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly president Brent Johnson also joined the race after filing a letter of intent on April 18.
The Friends of the Homer Library presented Nancy Lord, Homer resident, author and former Alaska State Writer Laureate, with the Lifelong Learner award on April 20. Spencer Co, then a Homer High School senior, was also awarded as the 2024 Youth Learner.
Members of the Homer community, including city council members, retired and current teachers, former legislators, a member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education, and the general public staged a walk-in outside of Homer High School on April 24 to support public education and sustainable funding.
Arthur Schwartz won the 29th annual Anchor Point King Salmon Derby on April 27. His prize fish weighed in at 21.9 pounds.
May
The Homer City Council started a conversation on cruise ships call to the Homer port by asking the Port and Harbor Advisory Commission and the EDC to discuss and consider cruise ship capacity and potential policy adoption. This decision was made following the harbor’s acceptance of a larger-than-normal cruise ship call into port for the summer, based on the fact that the large vessel fleet would not be present in the harbor at the time of the cruise ship’s visit.
Comprehensive plan project leaders launched a community survey intended to capture a wider range of input and facilitate feedback from community members who were unable to attend the in-person outreach event held in March.
Taiko drumming arrived in Homer as part of the city’s celebration of the 40th anniversary with sister city Teshio in Japan. A taiko drum-building workshop was held at Kachemak Bay Campus on May 3. Performances by Anchorage group Tomodachi Daiko were later held in Homer High School’s Mariner Theatre.
May was the month for graduations across the peninsula, including Homer High School, Homer Flex High School, Voznesenka and Kachemak Selo, Ninilchik School, and Kachemak Bay Campus classes of 2024.
Homer’s annual Shorebird Festival was held May 8-12 and included a vast number of workshops, presentations and outdoor birding excursions, including a workshop on documenting birds in the digital era hosted by festival keynote speaker Ted Floyd on May 10.
June
The National Marine Fisheries Service prohibited recreational fishing for chinook salmon until mid-August in the Cook Inlet economic exclusive zone.
Longtime psychology professor Brian Partridge stepped up as the new director of Kachemak Bay Campus, following the departure of former director Reid Brewer in December 2023. Dr. Paula Martin had served as interim campus director in between Brewer’s departure and Partridge’s official start in his new role.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly voted down ordinances that would have established a tobacco product excise tax and used that funding for a child care grant program. The ordinances were considered as possible measures to combat the child care shortage faced across the peninsula. Introduction of the proposed tobacco excise tax was defeated on June 4; the child care grant program was subsequently defeated.
The assembly introduced an ordinance on June 4 that would ask residents within the South Peninsula Hospital service area to decide in the October election whether or not to approve a $38.5 million general obligation bond for improvements to the SPH campus. A public hearing was held on the ordinance on June 18.
Consideration of a boroughwide bed tax was brought before the assembly and the Homer City Council. A resolution supporting the proposal to place on the October ballot a bed tax of up to 12% was unanimously voted down by the city council on June 17.
The Homer Pride Liberation Community Walk took place on June 15, followed by a celebration gathering in the Kachemak Bay Campus parking lot attended by members of the community and local vendors. Homer Pride facilitated a series of events in June advocating for unity within the community, including people who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC.
U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, held a telephonic town hall focused on the challenges facing state and federal fisheries, including conflicting perspectives, jurisdictional issues and the need for stronger regulations and policy changes.
An abandoned building located on Lake Street, across the street from Ulmer’s, burned down on June 21. The Homer Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the fire, but the building was called a complete loss. Friday’s fire followed reports of smoke coming from the same building on Wednesday.
The MS Westerdam, a vista-class cruise ship, landed in Homer on June 28. The Westerdam was the largest ship scheduled to arrive in Homer for the 2024 season, and was required to anchor out in Kachemak Bay and lighter passengers in to the Homer Harbor as the ship’s size prevented it from docking at the Deep Water Dock. The Westerdam’s landing was deemed successful by city officials in that there were no complications or accidents, and provided key data for Homer’s consideration of implementing a cruise ship policy.
July
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District reversed budget cuts for the 2024-25 school year following Gov. Dunleavy’s approval of a one-time funding increase to the base student allocation. However, the KPBSD Board of Education said, the district will face a $17 million deficit in the following year.
The KPB Assembly tabled the discussion on a boroughwide bed tax following extensive testimony from the public, including members of the borough’s hospitality industry.
Homer and Anchor Point held their annual Fourth of July parades, celebrating liberty and American history.
Longtime city clerk and interim city manager Melissa Jacobsen was selected by the Homer City Council to fill the position of city manager on a full-time basis.
The Seldovia Village Tribe became the first federally recognized Alaska Native tribe to achieve a TsunamiReady certification from the National Weather Service.
Doyon’s appeal of their previously rejected CUP application for their proposed Lighthouse Village Development was remanded to the Homer Planning Commission. Doyon submitted a revised application, taking into account feedback received from both the commission and members of the public, to the Planning Commission for reconsideration.
Bay Welding Services and Bay Weld Boats held an open house event in celebration of their 50th anniversary doing business in Homer.
A crane colt found dead, entangled in fishing line, in the Beluga Slough raised an outcry among Homer’s environmental conservation community about marine debris and the adverse impacts it can have against local wildlife.
August
The candidate filing period for city and borough elections opened on Aug. 1. Homer City Council members Donna Aderhold and Shelly Erickson filed for reelection and remained unopposed. Council member Rachel Lord and local resident Jim Anderson both filed for Homer’s mayoral race, following former mayor Ken Castner’s decision not to run for reelection. Early voting was also held through Aug. 19 in advance of Alaska’s primary election on Aug. 20.
Four people were reported missing from a boat that capsized on Saturday, Aug. 3. A 28-foot aluminum vessel with eight passengers was reported in the Gulf of Alaska, 16 miles west of Homer, as taking on water. Four passengers were rescued from a life raft that was carried with the capsized boat. The search for the remaining four missing people was suspended by the Coast Guard after 24 hours of no results.
Former Homer resident and first-time Olympian Kristin Faulkner won her first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics cycling road race on Aug. 4.
Salmonfest returned to the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds Aug. 2-4, featuring three days of music, art, education and advocacy. The weekend centered around “feel-good” community gathering and hosted a long list of performers from across the state and Lower 48, including returning headliner Michael Franti & Spearhead, who last performed at Salmonfest in 2018.
The 2024 Kenai Peninsula Fair was held Aug. 9-11 at the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds in Ninilchik, centered on the theme, “Back to the Last Frontier.”
The Homer Electric Association announced on Aug. 13 their agreement to purchase 30 megawatts of solar power from the Puppy Dog Lake project, a renewable energy project being developed in Nikiski that is slated for completion in late 2027 or early 2028.
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended on Aug. 20 the search for a Homer woman who went missing from a 36-foot troller in Southeast Alaska waters.
Two Soldotna troopers were charged with misdemeanor assault in the fourth degree for their alleged conduct during an arrest in May.
The U.S. Coast Guard safely recovered two local men following a search and rescue mission on Aug. 12.
Kristin Faulkner won a second gold medal in the Women’s Team Pursuit event during the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is now the first U.S. woman to win gold in the Olympic cycling road race since 1984 and the only Alaskan to ever win two gold medals. She also competed in the Tour de France and finished as the top American racer on Aug. 18.
The annual Zucchini Festival was held at the Homer Farmer’s Market on Aug. 24. Christina Castellanos, owner and operator of Snowshoe Hollow Farm, was named the new Zucchini Queenie.
September
Alaska State House District 6 candidate Alana Greear dropped out of the electoral race following the results of the Alaska Primary Election and threw her support behind fellow nonpartisan challenger Brent Johnson.
Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, hosted a seafood industry roundtable on Sept. 12 to provide an opportunity for local fishermen and industry stakeholders to discuss concerns and share insights ahead of the state’s first task force meeting that was held on Sept. 19.
The Homer Theatre came under new ownership, after being sold by longtime owners Jamie and Lynette Sutton to a local collective including Susannah Webster and Nate Spence-Chorman from Red Knot Real Estate, Baldur Neumann-Hunting and Rosanna Hunting. The theatre closed down temporarily for renovations with plans to later hold a grand reopening.
Homer’s Burning Basket celebrated its 21st year under the them, “Give—Basket of Remembrance and Unburdening.” The basket was ignited on Sept. 8.
South Peninsula Behavioral Health Services, Inc. celebrated its 45th anniversary with an open house on Sept. 12 and a fundraiser and concert at Alice’s Champagne Palace on Sept. 13.
South Peninsula Hospital public relations director Derotha Ferraro facilitated a town hall meeting on Sept. 12 on Proposition 1, which would go before voters in October asking if the borough should borrow $38.5 million dollars in general obligation bonds for improvements to the hospital. The town hall also included a panel discussion with borough mayor Peter Micciche, SPH CEO Ryan Smith, assembly Homer representative Kelly Cooper, SPH radiologist Dr. Edson Knapp, and SPH board of directors member Beth Wythe.
Longtime Kachemak Emergency Services Chief Robert Cicciarella retired on Sept. 13 after 17 years of service to the community.
Longtime Anchor Point artist Norman Lowell died on Sept. 2 at the age of 96. A memorial service was held later in the year.
Public libraries on the Kenai Peninsula — and across the state — were left reeling after the annual Public Library Assistance Grant was reduced by approximately 74%. Many small libraries rely annually on the PLA Grant not only for materials purchases but for general operating costs. Until the funding could be restored, several local libraries on the peninsula sought other avenues of funding and considered reducing their hours or services, or closing entirely.
City of Homer representatives and community members celebrated the completion of the new Ben Walters Lane sidewalk with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 30.
October
Preliminary results from the municipal elections showed Rachel Lord leading for Homer mayor and the SPH bond likely to be defeated. Incumbent council members Donna Aderhold and Shelly Erickson, who ran unopposed, retained their seats. Lord later maintained her lead over Jim Anderson and was elected as the new Homer mayor.
A mudslide on the Diamond Creek Trail temporarily closed the trail to public use until an alternative trail was brushed by State Parks employees.
The KPB Assembly passed a resolution supporting and urging full funding for libraries following the drastic cuts to the PLA grant program. The assembly’s resolution followed a similar one which was passed by the Homer City Council near the end of September.
The Anchor Point Community and Senior Center announced that they were spearheading efforts toward the construction of a lower Kenai Peninsula youth center. APSCI dedicated a plot of land adjacent to the center for the future construction of an 80-by-150-foot recreation center at no cost to the community.
Full state funding was restored to Alaska libraries on Oct. 15.
The Homer Mariners varsity football team landed a state title, defeating the Kenai Kardinals on Oct. 19 to become the 2024 Division III state champions.
Homer News relocated to a new office, located at 345 Sterling Highway, following the sale of the paper’s longtime home on Landings Street.
Winter storm damage to the Homer Spit on Oct. 16 caused severe erosion to the Homer Spit Road roadbed across from the Heritage RV campground office, necessitating a resolution from the Homer City Council asking for state help to implement emergency repairs.
November
Alaska Legislature incumbents led in preliminary election results on Nov. 5. Certified results later revealed that Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, retained her seat in the State House, prevailing over Dawson Slaughter and Brent Johnson. U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, was defeated by Nick Begich. Former President Donald Trump defeated Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, winning a second term as U.S. president.
Voters in the Nov. 5 election also voted in favor of Ballot Measure 1, which will institute a minimum wage hike and mandated sick leave. Ballot Measure 2, seeking to repeal ranked choice voting, failed.
The Homer Planning Commission approved Doyon’s revised CUP application for the Lighthouse Village development at their Nov. 6 meeting. The commission also outlined several conditions that the applicants must meet following this approval.
An Anchor Point man was arrested for multiple charges related to three separate shootings at buildings housed by two community organizations: Homer’s Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic, which was targeted twice, and Kachemak Bay Recovery Connection. No injuries were reported in any of the shootings. Defendant Josiah Kelly was later indicted by a Kenai grand jury on Nov. 20, and arraigned on Nov. 26.
Following Rachel Lord’s election as Homer mayor, local resident Bradley Parsons was sworn in as interim city council member until the next regular city election in 2025.
A second winter storm event worsened the already-existing erosion damage on the Homer Spit and caused further significant damage to both the road and private properties on the Spit. Homer Spit Road was reduced to one lane while state contractors mobilized for repairs. Homer Mayor Rachel Lord also issued a Disaster of Local Emergency that was later ratified by the Homer City Council and extended to mid-January 2025. Following emergency repairs, Homer News reported on Nov. 28 that both lanes of Homer Spit Road had been reopened.
Local resident Jules Ravin, who won more than $13 million in the Lotto Alaska drawing on Aug. 4, donated more than $1 million of his earnings to the Homer Foundation to contribute to youth programming. Ravin’s gift is the largest the foundation has received to date from a single individual.
The KPB Assembly passed an ordinance at their meeting on Nov. 12, approving the purchase of more than 6 acres adjacent to the Chapman School campus in Anchor Point for school’s future use, including facilitation of a safer student pick-up and drop-off zone.
The Homer High School Mariners varsity football team were presented with a commendation from the KPB Assembly and Borough Mayor Peter Micciche on Nov. 21 for winning the 2024 Division III state championship.
December
Homer’s annual holiday tradition, “The Nutcracker” ballet, returned to the Mariner Theatre stage for its 36th year. The ballet’s opening night on Dec. 7 coincided with the first day of Homer Council on the Arts’ Nutcracker Faire, held in the Homer High School gym and commons.
The Pratt Museum received a $15,827 grant from Museums Alaska, a nonprofit organization supported by the Rasmuson Foundation, to upgrade the museum’s Gull Island exhibit, one of the oldest displays in the primary section of the museum.
Gov. Dunleavy issued a state disaster emergency for areas within the Kenai Peninsula Borough, including Homer and Ninilchik, that suffered significant damage from the Nov. 16 winter storm surge.
Holiday events abounded in Homer, starting with the Homer Chamber of Commerce’s annual tree lighting celebration on Dec. 5. Santa was escorted to the event by the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. Kids’ crafts and games, snacks and hot drinks, and live music performed by the KP Brass Band were also part of the celebration.
The owners of the Homer Theatre, now called The Porcupine Theater, held tours of the theater for community members to see how renovations were going. The theater’s owners also announced that a grand reopening gala would be held at the end of January, with movie and live event programming to commence Feb. 1, 2025.
A winter storm on Dec. 13 brought heavy snows to Homer and knocked out power throughout most of the city. Public schools from Ninilchik south to Homer closed for the day, as were city offices, the Homer Public Library, Kachemak Bay Campus, and many local businesses. Power was also knocked out at South Peninsula Hospital for approximately 90 minutes, following the failure of backup generators to start.
The KPB Tourism Industry Working Group held their first meeting on Dec. 18. The group, which was created following the assembly’s consideration in June of a resolution that would have asked voters whether to implement a bed tax of up to 12%, is set to continue meeting throughout the winter.
The Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys announced on Dec. 11 that they recently completed a comprehensive landslide hazard assessment for the City of Homer. The assessment is available for review on the City of Homer website.
Holiday events continued throughout the month of December, including the annual Procrastinators Fair on Dec. 20-21, a second craft and gifts fair held at Chapman School on Dec. 21, and Bear Creek Winery’s annual Garden of Lights experience, held for two weekends on Dec. 13-14 and 20-21.
(from left to right) Panelists Chris Story, Julie Engebretsen and Marcia Kuszmaul speak at the short-term rentals panel organized by the Homer Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Mina Gherman
Delcenia Cosman/Homer News Costumed community members walking with Homer Drawdown puppet a Grubby the Possum marionette, created during Bunnell Street Arts Center’s January Maker’s Space sessions, at the 70th annual Homer Winter Carnival Parade on Pioneer Avenue on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 in Homer, Alaska.
Doyon, Limited senior vice president and chief financial officer Patrick Duke (left) and operations manager Zach Dunlap (right) answer audience questions during the members-only luncheon hosted by the Homer Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Chris Keithley, 2024 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament champion, poses with his prize fish after the awards ceremony at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Delcenia Cosman/Homer News Agnew::Beck project consultant Shelly Wade explains the public feedback process at the Comprehensive Plan Open House on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center auditorium in Homer, Alaska.
The MS Westerdam, from the Holland America cruise line, is anchored out in Kachemak Bay on Friday, June 28, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. Too large in both linear feet and displacement tonnage, the Westerdam was unable to dock at the Homer Harbor and was instead required to lighter their nearly 2,000 passengers into the harbor using their smaller lifeboats. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Homer High School class of 2024 rises at the end of the Tuesday evening commencement program before heading to the Commons to be welcomed by friends and family. Emilie Springer/ Homer News
Sara, Kristen and Jon Faulkner pose with Kristen’s two gold medals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. Photo provided by Jon Faulkner.
The 2024 community Burning Basket fire was ignited at sundown on Sunday, Sept. 8. 2024 the Mariner Park on the Homer Spit. (Emilie Springer/ Homer News)
Homer’s new mayor, Rachel Lord, presents outgoing Mayor Ken Castner with a plaque recognizing his service to the City of Homer at the conclusion of the city council meeting at the Cowles Council Chambers at Homer City Hall on Oct. 14, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. (Emilie Springer/Homer News)
Cars yield to oncoming traffic before commuting south on the single open lane of Homer Spit Road on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, following significant erosion damage to the highway that occurred on Saturday in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Ken Castner with Nutcracker senior dancers Natalia Sherwood, Tiya Martushev and Sofia Loboy in front of the Stahlbaum Christmas tree after last Sunday’s matinee performance. Emilie Springer/ Homer News
Artist Gary Lyon talks with customers at his booth during the Homer Council on the Arts’ annual Nutcracker Faire on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Families gather at the Homer Chamber of Commerce for their annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
The KP Brass Band plays "Jingle Bells" and other holiday and classic favorites during the Homer Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas tree lighting celebration on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
